The red-and-white crake is a species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. This species was formerly placed in the genus Laterallus.
Region
Southern South America
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland and foothill wetlands of southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern Argentina. It favors dense emergent vegetation along marshes, swamps, oxbow lakes, and slow-flowing streams. The species also uses man-made habitats such as rice paddies, roadside ditches, and cattle ponds when cover is available. It typically keeps to the edges of reeds, sedges, and floating mats, rarely venturing into open water. Seasonal water-level changes influence local occupancy and detectability.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A shy, ground-dwelling rail, the red-and-white crake is more often heard than seen as it slips through dense marsh vegetation. It readily occupies human-modified wetlands such as rice fields and drainage ditches. Playback of its calls often elicits responses, aiding detection. Despite its local scarcity in places, it remains globally not at risk, though wetland loss can affect populations.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, reluctant to fly
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs, staying close to dense cover. Pairs defend small territories in suitable wetland patches. Nests are concealed low in grasses or sedges near water, with both sexes sharing incubation and chick care.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include a series of sharp kek or kip notes accelerating into a rattle, often delivered at dawn and dusk. It also gives thin whistles and scolds when alarmed from cover.
Plumage
Rich rufous upperparts with clean white underparts and finely barred black-and-white flanks. The back and crown are warm chestnut, contrasting with the bright white throat and belly. Feathers are smooth and close-fitting, giving a neat, sleek appearance.
Diet
Eats a mix of small invertebrates such as insects, spiders, snails, and small crustaceans, supplemented by seeds and other plant matter. It forages by probing and gleaning along muddy edges and among wet vegetation. Opportunistically takes small amphibians or larvae when available. Diet varies seasonally with water levels and prey abundance.
Preferred Environment
Feeds along the margins of marshes, rice fields, and shallow pools where dense sedges and grasses meet mud or shallow water. Often uses floating vegetation mats and narrow reed edges to stay concealed while foraging.
